Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33300 on 6 May 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33123 on 6 May 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33123 on 6 May 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Scottish Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/apps2/business/pqa/default.aspx.

Section 94 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act requires an annual carbon assessment of the Scottish Budget, with the Scottish Government producing a report describing the direct and indirect impact on greenhouse gas emissions of its expenditure plans.

The first such carbon assessment was published alongside the Draft Budget in September 2009, including the impact of both energy efficiency and renewables expenditure.

The following table illustrates the expenditure allocated to energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives for financial year 2010-11. For the purposes of our policy and programme objectives, energy efficiency initiatives and energy reduction initiatives are treated as the same thing.

In addition to the expenditure outlined below, energy efficiency and renewables are supported through a number of other schemes that focus on other policy objectives. It is not possible to accurately estimate the level of energy efficiency and renewables expenditure which such schemes will incur in 2010-11. Similarly, energy efficiency and renewables expenditure by agencies is an operational matter for those agencies.

Directorate	Available 2010-11 Expenditure for Energy Efficiency/Reduction Initiatives (£ million)	Available 2010-11 Expenditure for Renewable Energy and Microgeneration Initiatives  (£ million)
Energy	12.5	32.4
Housing and Regeneration	70.9*	0
Total	83.4	32.4

Note: *Includes the Energy Assistance Package''s core budget of £45.9 million, aimed at increasing incomes and reducing fuel bills, as well as improving the energy efficiency of homes.

The Scottish Government has ensured that Scotland can benefit from the UK-wide feed in tariff for renewable energy schemes, including micro-hydro. The Feed in Tariff came into force on 1 April 2010.

Support is also provided to agricultural, forestry and rural micro businesses wishing to install micro-hydro schemes under the Scotland Rural Development Programme and advice and funding is available to Communities under the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme.

In addition, the Scottish Government supports interest-free energy efficiency loans through our Energy Saving Scotland Small Business Loans Scheme.

The Scottish Government also facilitates the Forum for Renewable Energy Development Micro Hydro Sub-Group, which is an industry led group tasked with taking forward actions identified in the Renewables Action Plan for the micro-hydro sector. The group is currently working with SEPA on its draft guidance for run of river hydro schemes, which should help developers in identifying suitable sites for development.

The Scottish Government has provided funding for micro-hydro schemes under the SCHRI - Energy Saving Scotland Home Renewable Scheme, under the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) and under the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES).

The breakdown for funding allocated under the SCHRI “ Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant scheme is as follows:

FY	Number	Grant Value
2004-05	1	£3,833.41
2005-06	0	£0.00
2006-07	4	£15,244.18
2007-08	5	£16,935.45
2008-09	0	£0.00
2009-10	1	£4,000.00
	11	£40,013.04

 

Figures for the Scotland Rural Development Programme are not broken down by technology or year, however to March 2010 over £2 million of funding has been approved under the Renewable Energy Agriculture Option. Over £437,143 has been approved under the Renewable Energy Forestry Option and £609,705 has been approved under the Renewables Non Land-Based option. Funding is also available for Renewables Projects under the Diversification Outwith Agriculture Option, where businesses are diversifying into renewable energy production, but this option goes a lot wider than just renewable energy projects.

CARES has allocated grants to a number of hydro schemes, mostly larger than micro-hydro. In the last year, CARES awarded a grant of £2,757 to a micro-hydro scheme in Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.

Central Energy Efficiency Funding was provided from 2004-06, with £15 million being split between local authorities and £4 million provided to the NHS and £1 million to Scottish Water. A breakdown of the figures spent on micro-hydro is not held centrally.

Planning applications for small scale hydro schemes are handled at a local authority level and these figures are not held centrally.

The majority of funding for renewable energy schemes is not allocated by technology type, so it is not possible to give a set figure for micro-hydro.

However, the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme has a budget of  £7.5 million for the provision of advice and grants during 2010-11 and is currently working with community groups on 32 potential micro hydro projects across Scotland with a total capacity of 5MW.

Through the Central Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF), interest-free loans are available for Scottish local authorities plus NHS boards and Scottish Water to invest in a range of energy efficiency and renewables projects, including micro hydro projects. Individual bodies manage their own CEEF pot which acts as a revolving fund. This revolving fund scheme will continue into 2010-11.

The £1.5 billion Scotland Rural Development Programme of economic, environmental and social measures continues to provide support to help deliver the government''s strategic objectives in rural Scotland, including providing financial support under its Renewable Energy and Diversification Outwith Agriculture measures.

The Energy Efficiency Action Plan, due to be published in late spring, will set out how we will target energy efficiency funding going forward.

It is also worth noting that the key support mechanism for renewable energy schemes of less than 5 Megawatts is the Feed in Tariff, which is managed by Ofgem at a UK level.

We published our Rationale for Woodland Expansion early in 2009. It reaffirmed the Scottish Forestry Strategy''s vision for a 650,000 hectares increase in Scotland''s woodland area by the second half of the century. Our Climate Change Delivery Plan has subsequently recommended planting 10,000 hectares per year (to contribute to a 34% reduction in green-house gas emissions) or 15,000 hectares per year (for a 42% reduction). As regards tree numbers for planting, I indicated in the answers to questions S3W-32887 and S3W-32888 on 28 April 2009, that an average of 2,000 trees per hectare is a reasonable estimate. The geographic distribution of the new woodland will depend on ensuring that the right trees are planted in the right places; this is guided by consultation procedures and indicative forestry strategies (which in future are likely to be informed by the Land Use Strategy).

Forecasts of felling are generally presented in terms of volume (cubic metres) rather than in terms of area or number of trees. However, based on these forecast volumes, we estimate that the felled area could rise to about 20,000 hectares per annum during the course of the next five years. Nearly all these areas will be restocked in accordance with approved forest management plans. The number of trees felled will depend upon the average tree size, which is itself dependent on a wide range of factors.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.